Osteopathy is a form of holistic medical treatment, which is based on the idea that health is closely related to the structure of the body. They specialize in a treatment called manipulative therapy in which they use their hands to move parts of the patient's body, especially the muscles and bones, into the proper positions. This therapy continues until the patient's body systems are brought back to their correct relationship. Osteopathic physicians use the same methods that medical doctors use to diagnose and treat illness and injury. They prescribe medicines, perform surgery, and recommend diets and other kinds of therapy. More than forty-five percent of all osteopathic physicians are general practitioners or family doctors. As with medical doctors, osteopaths have office practices and work in hospitals. About fifteen percent of all osteopathic physicians are specialists in such fields as surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, neurology, and internal medicine. A small number of osteopathic physicians have salaried positions in osteopathic hospitals and colleges, private industry, and government agencies.

In order to be an osteopath you are required to go through extensive training. Osteopathic medical education requires 4 years of fulltime, comprehensive, and complete medical education. Once graduated and having attained the D.O. degree (Doctor of Osteopathy) prior to being eligible to practice, the osteopathic physician must complete a further 2 to 5 years of fulltime residency training in the specialty of their choosing such as internal medicine and subspecialties, surgery and subspecialties, orthopedics, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, emergency medicine, psychiatry, dermatology, pathology, family medicine, or musculoskeletal medicine (manual therapy osteopathy). There are 18 certifying boards with 85 specialties and subspecialties. Upon completion of residency training, specialty certification examinations are required. Even...

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...A) Write an account of how the topics below integrate and influence your understanding of Osteopathy.
The AOA defined 6 Osteopathic Principles
Concepts of Health
3 stage diagnosis and treatment plans
General systems theory
Holism
Word count 1,998
This essay focuses on the integration of the 6 main principles outlined by the American Osteopathic Association with my consideration of them at a deeper level during the osteopathic approach.
From the days of Still we are reminded that structure and function are a primary focus reciprocally interrelated-so much so that the basic structure of the skeleton and the parts that make it up are designed to operate a certain mechanical way. The physiological and deeper functional aspects are also governed by the dynamic interplay of human thought and actions. Imbalances have an effect on health and it is the mechanical activity within tissues that create barriers to communication. Using the sacrum as an example, sacral inclination can influence spinal mechanics in at least two planes but also the rest of the body. The sacrum needs to be relatively level to work as one with the spine’s flexibility in managing locomotion. Any deviation from the norm may mean changing the inclination of the sacrum motion between the ilia or by the motion of the pelvis on the hip joints to restore balance.
The arrangement of soft tissues around the sacroiliacs, the LS junction and the pelvic are complex and ensure a highly...